Toy.



No. 659,765. l Patented Oct-.16, i900.

J. J. REED.

TOY.

(Aplcation Bled Feb. 16, 1800.)

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@Mirna STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JAMES REED, OF LYONS, IOWA.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 659,765, dated October 16, 1900. Application filed February 16, 1900. Serial No. 5,510. (No modeh) To a/ZZ wiz/0m, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JAMES REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lyons, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Toy, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys, and has for its object to provide a seesaw device which is designed to travel from one end of a standard or upright to the opposite end thereof, and said upright being reversible, so that the seesaw may automatically return to the opposite end thereof. It is furthermore designed to provide a standard of peculiar shape for imparting the rocking motion to the seesaw and also for causing the latterv to travel longitudinally upon the standard, and finally to construct the seesaw for cooperation with the standard and to pivotally support suitable figures at the opposite free ends of the seesaw.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made Within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a toy constructed in accordancewith the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation illustrating the operation of the seesaw. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the rocking lever forming the seesaw proper. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional vievvr illustrating the manner of forming the fulcrums for the seesaw device.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates a fiat substantially straight standard or upright having laterally-disposed flat heads 2 at opposite ends thereof to form bases upon which the standard may be alternately supported, the latter being reversible, for a purpose as will be hereinafter more fully described. The opposite longitudinal edges of 'one of the fulcrums for the seesaw.

the standard are provided with a series of outwardly-bowed segmental projections 3, which extend continuously from end to end of the standard, and the adjacent projections intersect to form a series of notches or recesses 4. It will be observed that the projections of one series are in staggered relation with respect to the projections of the other series, and all of the projections are of the same size, each projection being struck from the intersection of the opposite projections as a center.

The seesaw proper is in the form of a lever 5 and comprises opposite parallel sides or members 6 and 7, the opposite ends of which are flared outwardly, so as to form forks 8 at opposite ends of the lever. The sides of the lever are preferably formed of sheet metal and are connected by means of shoulders 9, which are interposed between the intermediate parallel portions of the sides and are spacedasuitable distance, so as to form a longitudinal slotV or opening l0. Each shoulder has an intermediate inwardly-projecting tongue or flange ll, which is designed to form As best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, each shoulder is formed from a single strip of sheet metal, which is bent intermediate of its ends and folded together to form the tongue or flange, and the ends of the strip are bent outwardly in opposite directions to form the shoulder proper.

Connecting'the outer ends of the members of the respective forks 8 is a pin or rod l2, upon which is pivotally supported a suitable ligure 18, herein shown as representing a clown and a negro jockey, respectively, although other representations may be employed, as desired. These figures are swung intermediateof their opposite ends, so as to turn freely within the respective forks, and have their feet weighted in any suitable manner, so as to maintain a substantially normal position during the rocking movement of the seesaw.

As indicated in Fig. l, the upright or standard is received within the longitudinal slot of the lever, this assemblage of parts being accomplished before the bases 2 are connected to the standard.

In the operation of the device, the seesaw being at the upper end of the standard, with IOO the lower tongue 1l resting in one of the notches 1i as a fnlcrum-bearing, the upper end of the longer portion of the seesaw will rock downwardly by reason of ils greater weight until its tongue ll engages the next lower notch 4, where it secures a fulcrumbearing, and the opposite end of the lever moves down wardly,this alternate rocking motion continuing until the seesaw has reached the lower end of the standard. In order that this operation may take place, the length of the intermediate slot l0 of the lever is slightly more than the radius of the respective cam or segmental projections, so that each tongue l1 may travel longitudinally across the outer curved edge of the respective projections; but the length of the slot is less than the coinbined width of opposite projections, so as to prevent the lever from sliding freely upon the standard and to compel the fulcrums to alternately en gage the respective notches, so as to impart a rocking or seesaw motion to the lever. After the lever has reached the lower end of the standard the latter is designed to be inverted and stood upon the opposite base, whereby the lever is at the top of the standard and will automatically travel with a rocking motion to the opposite end of the standard. It will now be understood that as the figures 13 are pivotally supported they will rock to maintain a substantially upright position, and by reason of the weighted feet thereof will automatically assume their proper positions when the standard is inverted.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides an exceedingly simple and durable toy which can be operated without any particular skill or experience to aiord considerable amusement to children. Furthermore, the parts are few in number and are firmly and com pactly assembled, so that they are not liable to become out of order, and the wear upon the device is so small as not to impair the operation thereof.

What I claim is- 1. A toy, comprising a standard, and ascesaw device extending transversely at opposite sides of the standard, and provided with opposite independent fulcrums located at opposite sides of the standard, and having alternate automatic engagements with the respective sides of the standard.

2. A toy, comprising a standard, having staggered fulcrum-bearings upon opposite edges thereof, and a seesaw device, provided with opposite fulcrums, which have alternate automatic engagements with respective fulerom-bearings of the standard.

3. A toy, comprising a standard, and a seesaw device, having opposite intermediate fulcrums for alternate engagement with the standard, to impart a rocking` motion to the seesaw.-

et. A toy, comprising a standard, having a series of projections upon opposite longitudinal edges thereof, and a seesaw device, having opposite intermediate fulcrums for alternate engagement with the respective projections upon tlie respective edges of the standard, to impart a rocking nioiion to the seesaw.

5. A toy, comprising a standard, having a series of projections upon opposite longitudinal edges thereof, the projections of one series being staggered with relation to the projections of the other series, and a seesaw device having a pair of opposite intermediate fulcrums for alternate engagement with the projections of the respective series.

6. A toy, comprising a standard, having a series of segmental projections upon opposite longitudinal edges thereof, and a seesaw device, having a pair of opposite fulcruins for alternate engagement with the projections of the respective series.

7. A toy, comprising a standard, having a series of segmentalprojections upon opposite longitudinal edges, the adjacent projections intersecting to form notches, and a seesaw device, having a pair'of opposite fulcrums for alternate engagement with the notches' of the respective series of projections.

8. A toy, comprising a standard, having a series of segmental intersecting projections upon opposite longitudinal edges thereof, the projections of one series being staggered with relation to the projections of the other series, and each segmental projection being struck from the center formed by the intersection of the adjacent opposite projections, and a see saw device, having a pair of opposite fulcrums for alternate engagement with the projections of the respective series.

9. A toy, comprising an invertible standard, having a base at each of its opposite ends, and a seesaw device, which is freely slidable longitudinally of the standard.

l0. A toy, comprisinga standard, and a seesaw device, having an intermediate slot or opening slidably embracing the standard, opposite ends of the slot forming fulcrums, which have automatic alternate engagements with the standard.

1l. A toy, comprisinga standard, anda seesaw device, having an intermediate slot or opening loosely embracing the standard, the opposite ends of the slot or opening forming fulcrums for alternate engagement with the respective edges of the standard, forks at the opposite free ends of the seesaw,` and figures or other objects pivotally mounted between the members of the respective forks.V

12. A toy, comprising a standard,v and a seesaw having opposite substantiallyparallel members, the outer ends of which are deflected to form forks, and opposite intermediae shoulders connecting the opposite members, and forming an intermediate slot or opening to loosely embrace the standard, said shoulders also formingA fulcrums for alternately engaging the adjacent edges of the standard.

IOO

IIO

13. Atoy, comprisingastandard, and a seesaW device, having opposite side members, opposite shoulders connecting the members and forming an intermediate slot, each shouldeil being formed from a single strip of sheet metal which is folded intermediate of its ends to form a tongue or flange, the opposite ends of the strip being bent outwardly to form the shoulder proper, the standard being loosely embraced by the slot in the seesaw, and the tongues or anges forming opposite fulcrums for alternate engagement with the respective edges of the standard.

14. A toy, comprising an invertible standard, having a series of segmental intersecting projections upon opposite longitudinal edges thereof, the projections of one series being staggered With relation to those of the other series, and each projection being struck zo from the center formed by the intersection of the adjacent opposite projections, and a seesaw, consisting of a lever, having an intermediate slot or opening loosely embracing the standard, and of slightly-greater length than the radius of the respective projections, but shorter than the combined Width of any pair of opposite projections, the opposite ends of the slot forming fulcrums for alternate engagement with the intersections of the respective series of projections, and gures or other objects pivotally mounted at the outer ends of the seesaw.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in lthe presence of two Witnesses.

J. P. CAHILL, CORNELIUS CAHILL. 

